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Fronteras Vote

Fronteras: The Changing America Desk will focus on six races across the Southwest region. Each race is reflective of the larger issues at play for the state and region. We will be highlighting what’s at stake and why it matters. On Election Night we will be updating each story with live tweets, audio, photos and breaking news. We will have post-election analysis that examines what happened, who voted and what it means.

Six Races

The battle in New Mexico is less about the Senate or Presidential races but more about the Republican Governor’s efforts to unseat opponents in the state legislature. Gov. Susana Martinez has been frustrated in having her agenda - especially an effort to repeal a law allowing illegal immigrants to carry New Mexico drivers’ licenses — blocked by the majority democratic state legislature. She’s working hard to put supporters in office.

In Texas, there’s a tight race brewing between two Latinos. Two years ago, Francisco Canseco was swept in congress as part of the national Tea Party wave. His challenger is Peter Gallego, a Democrat who has served in the legislature for 22 years. This vast congressional district is majority Latino. Observers are watching to see how that voting bloc may or may not influence the election and what it spells for future Texas politics.

In a Senate race to replace retiring Republican Jon Kyl, It’s a runoff between Republican Congressman Jeff Flake and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Democrat Richard Carmona. It’s an extremely close race with big money pouring in on both sides.

In 2010, California voters gave the power of drawing congressional district lines to a bipartisan committee. One outcome: some parts of historically red San Diego are a new battleground. Millions of outside dollars have poured into the 52nd Congressional District race. Super PACs, ominous television ads and fierce politicking are all making the Bilbray-Peters race a reflection of the new political norm.

The controversial Maricopa County sheriff, Joe Arpaio, is running a close re-election campaign against two challengers - a Democrat and an Independent. Arpaio, a lightning rod for immigration issues, has raised millions of dollars from individual donors. But an activist group has mobilized over 30,000 new voters with one goal and message: Adios Arpaio.